October 26, 2015: The St. Louis LGBT History Project (Project) has announced a new archival partnership with the Department of Special Collections, University Archives, Washington University Libraries (WUSTL).

Through the partnership, the Project will work with WUSTL to preserve LGBT artifacts and offer educational programming with a focus on highlighting the pivotal role WUSTL faculty, alumni, and students have played in LGBT life since the 1800s.

The University served as the location of St. Louis’ first LGBT “pride rally” in 1980, with many WUSTL students and faculty participating. Famous gay playwright Tennessee Williams attended the University in the mid 1930s, and groundbreaking medical and sociological LGBT-related research has been conducted by WUSTL faculty.

WUSTL University Librarian, Jeffrey Trzeciak says of this partnership, “the Libraries are excited to be a part of the St. Louis LGBT History Project’s collaboration with local libraries and cultural heritage institutions. As a research institution, we are happy to join this collective in order to create opportunities for the larger community to better understand the LGBT experience in St. Louis and at Washington University.”

Project Founder, Steven Brawley says, “the addition of WUSTL to our already dynamic archival and programming partnerships with the Missouri History Museum and the State Historical Society of Missouri will ensure that our community’s treasured and rare LGBT artifacts will be preserved for future generations.”

The Project was founded in 2007 with a mission to preserve and promote St. Louis’ gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender history. Learn more at www.stlouislgbthistory.com.

For more information about LGBT resources at WUSTL go to http://libguides.wustl.edu/LGBT-archive